Japanese Prisoners of War Held by the Allies

Japanese Prisoners of War Held by the Allies.

There were relatively few Japanese prisoners of war: only around 20,000 were captured between 1939 and 1940. This was because it was considered shameful and sacrilegious to surrender rather than die. 

Those that did become prisoner were found unconscious or wandering in the jungle or were lured out of the caves and bunkers by skilled negotiators. Some had simply had enough.

The historian Peter Straus said, "It had been thoroughly planted in the minds of all Japanese that to become a prisoner of war was by far the worst thing that they could do, that they would cast dishonor not only on themselves but also on their families and nation." 

In Japan the media made "a big deal of those who... had gone back to the Japanese lines and then killed themselves, or those who had heroically given their lives in suicide missions.

Japanese POWs turned out to be an extraordinary intelligence coup for the Allies. Many felt they had already dishonor themselves by surrendering and had no hope of returning home so they had little to loose by giving up important information. 

The Japanese POWs were also generally astounded at how well they were treated after they were captured.

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